


The More They Stay The Same

by Eastofthemoon



Series: Frosted Forest [6]
Category: Epic (2013), Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Humor, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-25
Updated: 2014-03-25
Packaged: 2018-01-16 23:53:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1366363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eastofthemoon/pseuds/Eastofthemoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nod is tired of seeing Jack moody about his new powers, so he decides to do something about.  (Takes place right after The More Things Change.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The More They Stay The Same

**Author's Note:**

> This fic takes place right after Ladydouji's The More Things Change, so go and read that first.

Nod knocked at the door as he glanced around the area Jack’s family had been moved to. As Ronin said, it was more secured and private than Jack’s old place, but he imagined his family still missed it like crazy. 

 

The door slowly opened with a creak, but he heard a sigh a relief as Jack’s mother greeted. “Oh, Nod, it’s you.” She laughed. “Sorry, I was worried it was more people trying to see Jack.”

 

Nod gave a smile. He really had to hand it to Jack’s mother, she was taking the whole ‘My son has gain frost powers things’ surprisingly well. Then again, he suppose after losing Jack’s father a few years ago, anything else was small in comparison.

 

“Is Jack in?”

 

“In his room,” she replied as she gestured for Nod to enter. “It’s been his favorite hiding place after the blueberry bush.”

 

Nod gave a knowing half smile as a small head peeked up from a chair. “Nod!”

 

“Hey, Blossom!” Nod greeted as he ruffled her hair. “What’s up?”

 

Blossom sighed. “It’s hot,” she whined as she fell back on the chair. “And Jack refuses to go swimming with me.”

 

Nod winced. Until they got Jack’s frost powers under control, it was probably better he avoided swimming until they were certain he wouldn’t freeze the whole pond.

 

“Nod,” Blossom whined. “Make Jack play with me,” she frowned. “He’s been all grumpy lately.”

 

Nod laughed and leaned on the chair. “Give me ten minutes, and I’ll see what I can do.”

 

Blossom tilted her head curiously at him as he head to Jack’s room, and knocked on his door. “Bro, it’s me!” he called.

 

He heard a sighed, but Jack came to the door. “Thought you had flying practice today?”

 

“We did,” Nod said as he replied. “But North cut it short since the birds were getting too exhausted from the heat.” He shrugged. “So, figured we were overdue to hang out.”

 

Jack gave a bitter laugh. “Well, it’s going to be a boring day since I’m not leaving this house.”

 

Nod rolled his eyes. “Come on, Jack. You got to admit people have calm down about the whole thing.”

 

“Doesn’t help I still get stared at,” Jack grumbled as he sat on his bed. “I want my old life back.”

 

Nod sat next to him. “I know, but we can’t change back the clock, so you’re going to have to adjust.”

 

Jack rolled his eyes. “Yes, and what a great new life it is too.” He lay on his bed. “I went from being potential rookie Leafman to frost freakshow overnight.” Jack lazily shook a fist in the air and said with little enthusiasm “Yahoo.”

 

Nod looked at Jack silently, and then clapped his hands. “Okay,” he said as he tugged on Jack’s arm. “Get up! You are officially not allowed any more mopping! It’s so not you.”

 

Jack glared as he yanked his arm free. “What else do you expect me to do?” He held his hands up. “This new ‘blessing’ is so useless, except for freezing things and people.”

 

“Jack, Jack,” Nod said as he wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “You’re so busy complaining and sulking, you haven’t even notice the potential for fun we have at your literal fingertips.”

 

“Potential for fun?” Jack asked with a raised eyebrow. “There’s nothing fun with being able to make snow and frost.”

 

Nod grinned. “It is when it’s the middle of summer and we’ve been stuck in this heatweave for the last three days.”

 

Jack stared, but then his eyes widened as he seem to clue in what Nod was hinting at. “You’re not suggesting-”

 

“I am.”

 

For the first time in weeks, Jack’s bright smile grew on his face. “Commander Aster and General Ronin will be mad.”

 

“Oh, probably,” Nod replied as he grinned. “But the expression on their faces will be worth it.”

 

Jack grinned madly, and he poked his head out of his room. “Blossom! You want to play a game?”

 

Blossom stared upside down from the chair she was perched. “Yeah, but it’s too hot.”

 

“It won’t be for what we have plan,” Nod replied.

 

“Huh?”

 

“You’ll see,” Jack grinned as he scooped her up. “Come on, let’s go!”

 

080808080808080808080808080808080808080

 

Ronin wiped the sweat off his forehead as he, Aster and Finn left his office. “So, no word what the Boggans are up to?”

 

“A couple have been spotted near the border,” Finn said. “But that’s about it.”

 

“I’m rather surprised they haven’t tried an attack since the night of the Moon’s Blessin’,” Aster retorted. “Figured they would have pulled somethin’ by now.”

 

“They’re probably trying to wait and see how much information they can gather on Jack’s new frost power,” Ronin replied and sighed. The Boggans were being too quiet to his liking, but he much prefered this rather than the Boggans outright attacking. 

 

Finn rubbed his neck. “Well, I don’t know about you two, but I need a cold drink.”

 

Aster nodded in agreement. “Sounds, real good about right-”

 

A squeak was heard as a small body collided into him. The men turned to time to see the girl blushing brightly. “Whoops! Sorry, Commander!”

 

Ronin arched an eyebrow. “Jasmine? What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be helping Tooth?”

 

Jasmine, who many nicknamed as Baby Tooth since she looked identical to her older sister, shrugged. “We finished fine tuning the glide wings early, Sir. So, she said we could take the day off.”

 

Ronin nodded, he couldn’t deny it was hard to get any work done in this heat. Finn, however, stared at Jasmine curiously, and pointed to the object in her hands. “What are you doing with those skates?”

 

Jasmine blinked, and paled as if she only remembered then what she was carrying. “Oh! These old things!” She gave a forced laugh as she tucked them behind her back, and started to walk backwards away from them. “Just…thought I get them sharpened for next winter.”

 

“Rather early to be doing that isn’t?” Ronin asked suspiciously.

 

“Well, you know what they say, better to get these things early!” Jasmine said as she headed to turn the corner. “So…bye!” She then raced off before the men could ask anything more.

 

“Is it just me,” Aster asked. “Or was that suspicious?”

 

“Very,” Ronin admitted. “But even if it was, what good are skates in the middle of summer?”

 

Finn cleared his throat. “I imagine they are very useful,” he looked to them with an amused expression. “Since one of the local teens have recently acquired the power to create ice.”

 

A silence hung in the air until Ronin spoke. “He wouldn’t.”

 

“Yes, he would,” Aster said slowly. “And double yes, if Nod’s with him.”

 

“Oh, for Moon’s sake,” Ronin replied as the men headed to where Jasmine had vanished. At first they didn’t know where she went, but soon it became clear as they followed the sounds delighted yells.

 

The found the source in the clearing that was normally used for target practice, but instead was now a large skating rink. A dozen kids were laughing as they skated, and fell on the ice with glee. Ronin noted quite a few teenagers, a lot of them from Jack and Nod’s unit, were getting into a snowball fight on the sidelines.

 

“Well,” Finn muttered as he looked the scene over. “You have to admit it feels a lot cooler-”

 

“Sandy?” Aster gasped surprised.

 

The short healer skated by the men, but paused to wave at them. Ronin shook his head. Of course the adults were getting into this.

 

“Sandy, where’s Jack?”

 

Sandy grinned, and pointed to the other end where the men saw Jack and Nod were busy tossing snowballs at each other. He also spotted Jasmine was currently skating alongside Jack’s little sister.

 

“Jack!” Ronin barked as he marched over.

 

The boys dropped their snowballs, but Jack grinned. “Hey, General Ronin! Bout time you showed up!”

 

Nod folded his arms. “If you had shown up an hour earlier, I would have won the bet.”

 

Ronin kept his frown as he folded his arms. “Alright, who’s bright idea was this?”

 

“Well, the ice rink was mine and Nod’s,” Jack admitted.

 

“No surprise there,” Aster muttered.

 

“But to be fair,” Nod replied. “The snowball fights were North’s idea.”

 

“North?” Ronin asked as he looked around for the man. “I don’t see him-”

 

Suddenly, Ronin and Aster’s faces were both greeted by a wet snowball.

 

“Ha!” North declared as he peeked over the pile of snow. “That should be two points for me!”

 

“Were we keeping score?” Nod whispered to Jack.

 

“If you were,” Finn snickered. “Should be five points for hitting Ronin.”

 

Ronin grumbled as he and Aster wiped the snow off. “North, you’re as bad as the boys! You know that?!”

 

North shrugged as he went back to helping a few kids build a snowman.

 

Aster growled as he looked to the boys. “You two can’t just create a skating rink, this place is for military-”

 

“We got permission from the Queen!” Nod pleaded as he reached into his pocket. “She said to show you this if you didn’t believe us.”

 

Ronin took the document and read it over. “It has the royal seal,” Ronin replied and tucked it into his pocket. He sighed. “Alright, but you two,” he pointed to Jack and Nod. “I’m holding you responsible if this place isn’t put to the back the way it was when this is over. Got that?”

 

“Yes, Sir!” Jack said with a salute, and then tossed a snowball at Nod while he had his back turned.

 

“Hey, that’s cheating!” Nod protested with a laugh.

 

Aster shook his head. “Suppose this was bound to happen eventually.”

 

Finn nodded. “But, you got to admit, this is the happiest I’ve seen Jack since he received the blessing.”

 

Aster paused as looked at Jack as his sister came to tackle him into the snow. “That’s true,” he replied. He was glad to see the boy acting more of his carefree self.

 

“I don’t know about you two,” Finn said as he walked away. “But I’m getting a drink and coming back here to sit and cool off.”

 

Aster looked to Ronin who smirked and gave a laugh. “That does sound like a good idea. I need a break from this heat.”

 

Aster chuckled. “Yeah, and better to watch Jack to make sure he doesn’t get the bright idea to start an avalanche.”

 

“Oh!” North said. “That would be-”

 

“No!” Ronin and Aster said in unison and were suddenly both very glad it wasn’t North that had received the Moon’s Blessing.


End file.
